You Fancy, Huh?

     Contrary to popular belief, the time you should be making your significant other engagement roast chicken is not before the engagement, but rather after the engagement. Here's why:

1. It shows him how much you care and that even though you are engaged, you will not stop doing special things for him

2. Engagement chicken looks fancy and now that you've got a diamond ring on your finger - you, my friend, are fancy

3. It looks like you slaved away in the kitchen all day when this meal is in fact quite simple

4. It makes leftovers, which means you can pack him lunch for work the next day and all of his co-workers will tell him how lucky he is (not like he needs reminding)

So, to celebrate my recent engagement to the love of my life, we're doing post-engagement roast chicken tonight!

Post-Engagement Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

1 (4 lb.) roasting chicken

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 lemons, quartered

1 head of garlic, cut in half crosswise

Olive Oil

2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced

2 carrots, diced

Kitchen string

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove and discard chicken giblets. 

Salt and pepper the inside of the chicken, then set chicken in a roasting pan.

Place garlic and 2 quarters of the lemon inside of the chicken. Brush the outside of the chicken with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wings under the body so they don't burn.

Toss the rest of the lemons, onions and carrots in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread around the chicken in the roasting pan.

Roast the hour for 1 hour and 15 minutes. 

Let it sit 10 minutes, then carve the chicken onto a platter. Serve with onions, carrots and roasted potatoes (recipe follows).

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Roasted Garlic Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 lbs. red potatoes, washed and quartered

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp. minced garlic

2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss potatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic together in a bowl until coated. 

Spread potatoes on a sheet pan in a single layer. Roast for 35-40 minutes, remembering to toss every so often so they do not burn.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and toss with parsley.

Serve warm.

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